This extraordinary story reads like tragedy and thriller. Impeccably sourced, utterly absorbing, dazzling and very, very dark Time Out This racy history reveals the CIA as a secret service to make Smiley weep and Bond howl in horror Daily Telegraph Combines thrilling storytelling with terrifying revelations - Simon Sebag Montefiore New Statesman, Books of the Year Weiner's riveting history of the CIA contains dozens of jaw-dropping incidents ... astonishing Evening Standard, Books of the Year Timely, immensely readable, and highly critical - Mark Bowden, Author Of 'black Hawk Down' Marvellous ... that every quote is also on the record is a testament to his skill - Steve Coll, Author Of 'ghost Wars' Winner of the National Book Award Prizes and awards

Tim Weiner is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at the New York Times where he has reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, and fifteen other nations. He was based for a decade in Washington, DC, where he covered the CIA and the military - the last topic being the basis for his famous book Blank Check: The Pentagon's Black Budget.